East Coast Strike Fighter Squadron. The squadron embarked on USS George Washington in June 2002 for another deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea, and Persian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch, returning to NAS Oceana in December 2002. VFA-34 returned to USS John F. Kennedy for her last combat cruise in 2004, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea/Persian Gulf in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In March 2005, VFA-34 became operationally attached to Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2), deploying aboard the west coast carrier for Operations Valiant Shield and Foal Eagle 2006. Between 24 and 31 March 2006, during Foal Eagle 2006 exercises, VFA-2, VFA-34, VFA-137, and VFA-151 from (CVW-2) teamed with U.S. Air Force aircraft from the 18th Wing based at Kadena Air Base to provide combat air patrols and coordinated bombing runs via the exercise's Combined Air Operations Center. The squadron returned home to NAS Oceana in August 2006. In March 2008 the squadron again deployed on USS Abraham Lincoln. Reporting to the 5th Fleet Operating Area, VFA-34 launched strikes over Iraq and Afghanistan, returning home in October 2008. After an extended stand down period the squadron returned to USS Abraham Lincoln for deployment back to the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman from 7 September 2010 to 24 March 2011. In 2012, the squadron won the Battle "E" award for excellence during a period of sustained readiness and combat operations. When Abraham Lincoln began its Refueling and Complex Overhaul in 2013, CVW-2 was reassigned to . The wing made only a short deployment aboard Ronald Reagan during exercise RIMPAC between June and August 2014, before the carrier was stationed in Japan. CVW-2 then accompanied USS George Washington for her voyage around South America from September to December 2015. In 2016, CVW-2 and VFA-34 were reassigned to . The wing made its next deployment to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean aboard Carl Vinson from 23 January to 23 June 2017. On 5 January 2018, VFA-34 left San Diego aboard Carl Vinson for another scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific. This deployment marked the final "Legacy" Hornet deployment for the squadron as upon their return, they will transition to the F/A-18E Super Hornet. On 1 February 2019, the squadron bid its final farewell to the F/A-18C Hornet. As the final operational "Legacy" Hornet in the U.S. Navy, that